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The Charter ( Medical Professionalism in the New Millennium.A Physician's Charter) did not deal with just the important relationship of ...

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Shout Out to AAFP for stating the obvious about one pay for performance plan

Unlike the ACCP, the AAFP seems to be calling it like it is in regard to one recently imposed pay for performance program, namely the United Health Care initiative. St. John's Mercy Health Care in St.Louis calls the UHC plan " ill conceived and poorly planned". The local and state medical society also have criticized the plan. The most recent issue of the ACP's Internist Observer, on the other article has a rather lengthy, platitude-filled article describing how the ACP will lead the way in helping to craft programs that will reward physicians for quality care. If the ACP needed an object lesson in an insurance company talking about quality and acting about saving money, this major problem in Missouri might be it. The Observer went to press some time after the dispute in St. Louis was well under way so it seems it ignored it rather than overlooked it.Dr.Tony commented on the PFP issue recently pointing out saving money not generating quality is what it is all about.Also, hcrenewal called attention to the incredible annual compensation of the CEO of UHC's parent company (124.8 million counting options exercised).It looks like one can improve quality and make money or at least talk about improving quality.